Bernard BraleyThe second volume of the series includes Henry Baker Albert Bayly James Montgomery and John Newton.''Hymn lovers will wish to congratulate Bernard Braley on his successful production of Hymnwriters 2 the second volume of biographical material of distinguished authors of hymns. The dust jacket tells us that this book is first of all just to be enjoyed for the reading of it and without doubt much enjoyment is offered to the reader. The author has amassed a remarkable amount of detail concerning four hymnwriters and as in Hymnwriters 1 there is a main narrative section on each page with marginal columns and separate boxes for interesting referencesand quotations.'' (The Hymn Society Bulletin)Hardback ISBN 0 85249 763 6

Bernard BraleyThe first volume in a series telling in depth the life stories of some great hymnwriters. The stories can easily be turned into occasional performances of hymns with interspersed readings. There are numerous quotations helpful to this end. The volume covers Thomas Ken Reginald Heber John Ellerton and William Walsham How. The book is full of the unexpected and makes a delightful gift.''Quotations from hymns letters and diaries together with photographs illustrate the text fully. This is a fascinating book and those with a talent for dramatisation would find this an ideal starting-point for creating a play.'' ''We have come to associate aspecial combination of lively style and meticulous research with the writings of Bernard Braley. In this first volume on hymnwriters we are not disappointed.'' (The Local Preachers' Magazine)''Mr Braley's biographical method is highly original - so far as I know unique - but carefully contrived to suite the nature of his subjects. His unorthodox method helps to make these men new to us and powerfully to promote in us a sense of fellowship with them.'' (The Hymn Society Bulletin)ISBN 0 85249 667 2

Part of the longer hymn 'Pange lingua' by Venantius Fortunatus (c.540-c.600) the Crux Fidelis features in the Adoration of the Cross during the solemn liturgical actions of Good Friday and at Lauds during Passiontide. The reverence and awe of the words resonate in the poised strophes and silences of Ronald Corp's new setting for SATB a memorable addition to the repertoire of music for times of penitence and to the surprisingly small corpus of interpretations including those by Lennox Berkeley Adrian Willaert John Dunstable and King John IV of Portugal (attributed) of this text in particular.